ICRC News 36 / 17.09.97

ICRC News 36 / 17.09.97


** SHORT MENU....

PERU: ASSISTANCE FOR DISPLACED VILLAGERS: 
Following an outbreak of armed violence during the last week of August 
near the town of Tingo Marma, in the district of Beraun, close to 1,000 
civilians fled their villages and took refuge in a safer area south of 
the town along the right bank of the Huallaga river.

REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: WATER AND HYGIENE: A PRIORITY:
The teams of Congolese Red Cross volunteers and ICRC delegates who are 
helping people displaced by the fighting in the capital, Brazzaville, are 
not expecting any improvement in the situation with the onset of the 
rainy season.

COMOROS: ICRC VISITS DETAINEES:
On 11 September the ICRC visited 83 persons captured during the recent 
clashes between government soldiers and secessionist forces on the island 
of Anjouan in the Comoros archipelago.


** STORIES IN FULL...

PERU
ASSISTANCE FOR DISPLACED VILLAGERS

Following an outbreak of armed violence during the last week of August 
near the town of Tingo Marma, in the district of Beraun, close to 1,000 
civilians fled their villages and took refuge in a safer area south of 
the town along the right bank of the Huallaga river. The ICRC 
sub-delegation in Tingo Marma provided emergency assistance (food, 
clothing, blankets, kitchen utensils) to 210 displaced families, who 
returned to their homes 10 days after receiving the aid. ICRC delegates 
in the region subsequently organized an information session for the 
villagers on international  humanitarian law and the ICRC's activities.

Further information: Ruben Ortega, ICRC Geneva, tel.: ++ 4122 730 2454 


REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
WATER AND HYGIENE: A PRIORITY

The teams of Congolese Red Cross volunteers and ICRC delegates who are 
helping people displaced by the fighting in the capital, Brazzaville, are 
not expecting any improvement in the situation with the onset of the 
rainy season. The need for assistance, especially drinking water, is 
growing by the day and the impending rains will only hamper relief work. 
 
The ICRC and the aid organization Midecins sans frontihres have set up 
five water tanks, which are being replenished on a regular basis, along 
the road leading north from Brazzaville through hundreds of kilometres of 
savannah. The ICRC has also built latrines and installed showers for tens 
of thousands of displaced people in the southern part of the capital.

Similar assistance is being provided on Mbamu, an island set in the 
middle of the Congo river between Brazzaville and Kinshasa, where 
thousands more have found refuge. The ICRC has repaired a well on the 
island and distributed the tools necessary to dig more wells. It has also 
set up showers and dug pits for the disposal of refuse.

In the coming days, the ICRC will distribute canvas sheeting against the 
rain to displaced persons who are still without shelter. 

Further information: Paolo Dell'Oca, ICRC Kinshasa, tel.: ++243 12 34 191
 

COMOROS
ICRC VISITS DETAINEES

On 11 September the ICRC visited 83 persons captured during the recent 
clashes between government soldiers and secessionist forces on the island 
of Anjouan in the Comoros archipelago.

The visit took place in accordance with the ICRC's customary working 
procedures: all the detainees spoke in private with an ICRC delegate and 
had the opportunity to write Red Cross messages to their families. The 
next day they received basic hygiene articles (toothbrushes, toothpaste 
and soap) from the ICRC. The messages written were distributed on the 
island of Grande Comore, with the assistance of the Comoran Red Crescent.

Further information: Jo Fox, ICRC Pretoria, tel.: ++27 12 437 335 


During the weekend of 13 - 14 September 1997, for all information please 
call the press officer on duty, Rubin Ortega, on (mobile) 41 79 217 32 03